Silver Tongue
by Zabbie Q
Summary: When Joker has all the Precure in his circus tent, he doesn't need to fight them — he just has to talk


Through the open space above the target range of the school's archery dojo, a purple canopy of a Bad End Space stretched across the once blue sky. Nao had seen many Bad End Spaces over the past year; if it had been Wolfrun the Big Bad Wolf who had cast the spell, it would have been a nightscape with a full moon. If it had been Majorina, the sky would've been green with giant white spider webs. If it had been Akaoni, it would've been reddish with tiger stripes as befitting an _oni_. Nao had only seen a purple sky once before, and she shuddered to think of the caster being anywhere near her school. Anytime Joker the wicked jester showed up, he brought calamities which none of the other generals of Bad End Kingdom ever thought to dish out.

Even more disconcerting, Aoki Reika, Nao's oldest friend, was nowhere to be seen. A school-issued _yumi_ bow, discarded on the dojo's platform, was the only hint she had ever been there.

Nao and the others had wasted little time transforming into their Precure forms. Smile Pacts clenched in tense fists, Nao became Cure March; Miyuki, Cure Happy; Akane, Cure Sunny; Yayoi, Cure Peace.

Yet Joker did not appear. Neither did Reika.

"I'm telling you," said Candy the little fairy at her ankles. "I smelled her here, and the Dog Decor is never wrong. That's how the Royal Queen-sama used to have her guards find Hansel and Gretel when they got lost."

The brown puppy nose had already disappeared from her white face with a puff of pink smoke, but Candy's dewy blue eyes held such conviction that Nao would've believed her even if she didn't have faith in the magical Cure Decors' abilities.

So where was Reika?

Nao gripped her fists until her fingernails dug into her palms. With the Bad End Space intact, no one would wander into the dojo; every person who wasn't a Precure was slumped and huddled across the school grounds, trapped under the weight of supernatural hopelessness. In some ways, it promised none of their schoolmates would see the four girls as brightly colored superheroes with elaborate hairstyles (even if they could recognize Nao through Cure March's lengthy green ponytail with matching frilly green top, skirt and biker shorts). Yet it drove home the fact in Nao's mind that they were alone, searching for Reika without anyone to help them. Even if they could do something like call the police, adults would be of no help against someone as magical and as deadly as Joker.

_What will her mother do if Reika is gone forever?_ she wondered before she had a chance to stop that dark question. No, she couldn't lose hope or heart.

But as the minutes ticked by, it got a little harder to hang onto either.

"Of all the times this could happen," Sunny muttered from the other side of their line. "Reika gets picked to study in Britain, and now some Bad End jerk decides to pull this stunt."

Beside Sunny, Peace trembled. "I didn't want to say goodbye to Reika-chan before," she said, her voice cracking slightly, "but this is worse."

Nao shot them a look. "We'll find her. A month from now, we'll be throwing her a goodbye party," she said, but her voice sounded too thick to be convincing.

"Yeah, with a bunch of British stuff," said Happy who managed a weak smile before concern overtook her face once more. She cupped her hands to her mouth and called, "Reika-chan!"

Her voice echoed across the dojo, but no one answered.

"Where could Joker have taken her?" Nao whispered.

She gazed back at the dojo platform, the targets behind her — and something else. Nao sensed it before a movement caught her eye. A white oblong rectangle appeared on her right, and she spun around to see a dark mass where the targets had been. As the others gasped, Nao realized a second rectangle had materialized on Sunny's left, and both shapes swung toward them, shutting like doors and sending them into the black abyss.

* * *

The grass of the dojo disappeared beneath Nao's boots, and something hard, like concrete, took its place. She sucked in a quick breath, trying to gather her courage even as her mind summoned several nasty images of ghosts and monsters lurking in the tenebrosity.

In a flash, a metallic sound erupted, and an orange light ignited behind her, and Sunny grunted from its direction. Before Nao could spin around to look, a sickly green spotlight shone on her, so sudden and bright she had to squint. Then two more bursts of that strange noise arose, shining pink and yellow beams on Happy and Peace. In the inky surroundings, Nao made out shapes which looked like rings of steps in a circular room. However, before she could get a good look at them, a fifth sound came, and a light-lavender spotlight beamed on two figures below her in the center of the rings.

"Welcome, _Minna-san_!" Joker cried out to the Precure, his smile wider than any human's. He spread his thin arms out like a ringmaster announcing the main attraction. Near him, a blue-haired girl huddled on her hands and knees, her head bowed in an attitude of utter defeat.

Nao's heart seemed to stop. She tried to move, but her limbs felt petrified. "Reika!"

"Reika!" cried Sunny, charging down the steps.

Joker's finger snap echoed through the shadows, and bars of iron sprung up from the floor. Sunny barely stopped before colliding with the barrier.

As bright lights switched on, Nao saw they stood inside some kind of circus tent with a single ring which resembled an archery target. Behind Joker and Reika, a large mirror stood on two humanoid legs, and two arms stuck out on either side, but Nao barely paid attention to it. As her eyes scanned the iron bars, Nao realized what Joker had created: a cage.

For Reika.

Sunny grabbed the bars. "Reika! Why didn't you transform?"

Joker lazily swiveled his head to look down at his prisoner. "Why don't you tell them?" he asked evenly. "That you aren't a Precure anymore."

Reika did not respond. She gazed vacantly at the floor, with the same look of apathetic hopelessness of those who became trapped in Bad End Spaces.

Nao glanced from her friend to the smirking jester, clenching her fists.

"What are you talking about?" she asked cautiously.

Joker might have glanced toward her, but it was hard to tell from the shape of the dark holes of his white half-mask. "Only you four are Precure now," he answered.

As he spoke the glass on the mirror behind him rotated, and the sharp-toothed, leering face of a black-nosed Hyper Akanbe appeared. As if directed by a silent command, the behemoth sprang into the air, right over the bars and toward Cure Peace. It swung its arm back and sent a blow toward the yellow figure.

"_Hyper_!" it cried.

"Peace!" Nao cried, leaping after them, but the mirror monster's foot darted up and sent her flying across the tent.

Nao collided with the wall and promptly leapt off, barely hurt thanks to the Precure magic. The others swarmed the Akanbe, and Nao rejoined the fray. As the mirror monster tried to land a blow on Happy, Sunny motioned toward Nao and Peace.

"Just give me a clear shot," Sunny called softly. "March, you're with me."

Peace bolted forward, waving her arms, and the Akanbe changed course from stalking Happy. Peace feinted side to side, luring it down the steps. With a magnificent leap, she soared to the top of one of the tightrope towers which flanked Joker's circus ring. The Akanbe followed and tried to punch her, but she jumped out of range.

"Now!" cried Sunny, sending a fire blast at the monster. Nao followed suit, sending her green beam at it.

A cloud of dust arose as both attacks hit their mark, but the hope which flared in Nao died as the cloud cleared. The undamaged Akanbe turned to face Nao and Sunny, gloved fists raised, and it bounded from the platform, straight toward them.

With a grunt through clenched teeth, Nao charged the mirror monster, and Sunny joined her assault. In unison, they jumped toward the Akanbe, both drawing back their fists. But the Akanbe proved quicker. Its massive gloved hand knocked them away as if they were no more than flies, and Nao found herself careening toward the stadium seats.

As a fresh dust cloud covered her, Nao regained enough of her senses to look up in time to see Happy taking on the Akanbe next.

Happy rammed her fist into the Akanbe's face, but the revolving mirror head swung back only a little, practically indifferent. Happy hung in the air for a second above its forehead before the chin came around and slammed into her. Happy shot toward the floor like a bullet and slammed against the bars.

A cry came from the cage.

"_Happy!_"

Nao squinted down toward the kneeling Reika.

Reika didn't stir from her spot, didn't raise her hands or dash forward to offer aid. But her blue eyes grew wide, more focused, more like the real Reika.

Then Joker chuckled.

He stood behind her, arms akimbo, separating her from the newly returned Hyper Akanbe as it landed back in the cage, ready to be of assistance to its master. Instead of giving it an order, Joker stepped forward, right up to Reika. He gazed down at her, wearing an amiable smile.

"So concerned for them, aren't you, Reika-san?" he said, as if she had granted him permission to use her given name. "I can understand why you don't want to leave these girls. Maybe you should stay after all — since they'd only forget you."

Nao struggled to lift her head, fighting through the sharp pain to glare down at the smug jester. She gritted her teeth.

"No, we wouldn't, you liar!" she growled.

Happy raised her head next, wincing. "We love Reika-chan. After everything we've been through, we could never love her any less."

"So you claim," said Joker. "Do friendships really mean that much to you, Cure Happy?"

Happy planted her palms on the ground, pushing herself up. "You bet they do!"

He smirked and turned his head. "What about you, Cure Sunny?" he called, cupping one hand against his mouth. "Do you value friendships an awful lot?"

From her spot in the stands, Sunny managed to prop herself onto her elbows. "Is that even a question?" she shot back.

Joker tittered. "So, Cure Happy, Cure Sunny, paragons of friendship — when was the last time you called one of your buddies from your old neighborhoods?"

Both girls went still.

"Oh? Don't you know?" asked Joker. He held up his hands. "You go on and on — _and on and on_ — about how eternal friendships are. Surely, you should be hard pressed to remember when you _didn't_ talk with a friend from your previous schools."

Happy looked uncertain. "Well, I still love my friends from my old school. I just…" She trailed off.

Sunny got to her knees now. "I love my friends in Osaka. I've just been busy," she said, her voice thick with her painful exertion. "School, volleyball, the restaurant— "

Joker's slow clap interrupted her. "Worthy tasks, all of them," he drawled cheerfully. "And so Reika-san should stay here in Nanairogaoka, because if she were on another continent, you'd both be too busy to maintain your friendships with her."

Sunny glared at him. "That's not— "

But Joker kept talking.

"Friendships are so fragile, aren't they?" He lowered himself to one knee beside Reika. He leaned his head close for a stage whisper, but somehow — perhaps through the magic of his bizarre circus tent — his voice carried to the other girls. "If you aren't constantly in each other's company, your friends will lose interest and leave you behind. Isn't that what you're really afraid of, Reika-san?"

Reika dropped her gaze. Mutely, she nodded.

"We wouldn't, Reika-chan!" Peace cried. Her amber eyes glistened with new tears. "I'd call you everyday! I promise!"

Reika glimpsed at her.

But Joker kept talking.

"Oh, yes, that's what everyone promises, Reika-san. And for the first two weeks, they keep their word. But then you miss a day. Then a week goes by. Then a few months. And one day you wake up to realize you're no longer part of the same social circle and can't think of things to talk about. Why, just look at you and Cure March."

Nao jerked herself upright, trembling on her bruised knees. "You shut your mouth, clown!" she barked at him.

Joker swiveled his head toward her, faking a look of surprise.

"Oh, yeah?" he returned. "Then you two childhood BFFs _weren't_ drifting apart before you both became Precure?"

"We're in the same class, and we sit next to each other," Nao spat. "I don't call that drifting apart."

"But you weren't having lunch together anymore," he returned, "and your school clubs meant you didn't spend your afternoons together. Did you even see each other on weekends before the Precure formed?"

Nao opened her mouth to respond — but she couldn't quite remember.

When they were in elementary school, she and Reika had been inseparable. Most of the other kids couldn't believe a tomboy and a girly-girl could be best friends, but their shared love for cute things had given them hours of playtime with their stuffed animals. Reika was also pretty athletic. The two girls used to have races in their backyards or played soccer. They both liked to climb trees too, and they'd perch on the branches, pretending they lived in a castle.

However, once middle school had started, both had joined clubs which did not include the other. Nao had her soccer team. Reika had the Student Council, archery, the morning greeters, and her other duties around the school. While they sat next to each other in their second-year class, Reika used to eat lunch quickly and go check on the school flowerbeds while Nao sometimes ate with the girls on the soccer team. Weekends for Nao often included either babysitting her younger siblings or practicing soccer or both, so she had stopped inviting Reika over to hang out. While she continued to like Reika as a dear friend, and while neither bothered with honorifics, not even the casual "-_chan_," Nao had not gone out of her way to make time for Reika in months. Not until they were both Precure.

She grimaced at the realization.

Joker smiled at her silence. "Just face it. If the Royal Queen-sama's precious light had chosen another girl to be Cure Beauty, you wouldn't have spent as much time with Reika-san." He turned back to Reika, leaning close to her troubled face. "If someone else had been Cure Beauty, you and Midorikawa-san would have come to realize a very hard truth."

"W-What's that?" Reika asked softly, watching Joker like a rabbit enthralled by a cobra.

"That you two have outgrown each other."

Nao shot to her feet in spite of her injured limbs.

"Shut up!" she shouted. "You don't know me — and you don't know Reika!"

"So you _should_ stay, Reika-san," Joker continued, ignoring Nao. "Clearly, none of the Precure have what it takes to maintain long-distance friendships — or even short-distance friendships. Not unless you're part of their inner circle."

"W-We'd make the effort for Reika-chan," Peace insisted, her lip quivering.

"You bet we would!" chimed in Sunny. "Her going to Britain wouldn't change a thing!"

Joker shot them a glance. "Oh, really, _Minna-san_! You don't have to keep on pretending you want Reika-san to follow her dreams. You can admit you want her to stay here."

He put the backside of his hand against his mouth and said in another stage whisper: "Your friends have been flat-out lying to you because they don't want to make you feel bad for leaving them."

"Of c-course we want her to stay," said Happy. She had gotten to her feet and now gripped the bars of the cage for support. "We love Reika-chan. It — It breaks my heart to say goodbye to my precious friend, but we wouldn't forget her if she left!" she cried, her voice cracking.

"Well, why risk it?" grinned Joker. "Just stay, Reika-san. It's better than discovering how flimsy your friendships really are."

He took Reika's hand and stroked her knuckles.

"Get away from her, you slimeball!" cried Nao, limping down the stadium steps.

"Ignorance is bliss, isn't it?" Joker told his gaping captive. "Truth is for losers like me who have to stay stuck in the miserable Bad End Kingdom, right? You must remain _ultra happy_, even if it means living a lie, right?"

"I… I…" Reika faltered, but she continued to stare into Joker's black eyes.

"So you should stay," he purred. "Better to be loved than forgotten, right?"

Nao reached the cage, along with Sunny and Peace.

"I don't know what your game is, Joker, but you're not going to win," Nao said between her teeth.

"No game, Cure March," said Joker. "Just cold, hard facts."

"Facts," repeated Reika softly.

Joker twinkled at her. "So it's settled, right? You'll stay home and keep your fragile friendships from breaking like a pie crust. Why get disillusioned over something so delicate?" Then he shifted his weight, folding his arms. He made a show of tapping his chin. "Except…"

Reika knitted her brows. "Except?"

He faked a look of sympathy. "Well, let's not forget your family," he said. "If you stay home for your friends, doesn't that mean you're throwing away the chance to get an excellent job when you're older?"

"Oh." She bit her lip. "Um…"

"That's years away, Reika!" cried Nao, shaking the bars.

She bent her legs, preparing to leap over the cage, but the Akanbe crouched as well, watching her. Nao stopped. While she would gladly fight the thing again to save a friend, Reika could be hurt at this close range.

And Joker kept talking.

"You're more than halfway done with middle school already, aren't you? Soon enough, you'll be a grown young woman. And your parents will be older. And they'll need dutiful Reika-san, won't they?"

Reika nodded mutely.

"But they aren't _that_ old," Nao cut in. "Don't listen to him, Reika. It's what he wants."

Reika didn't seem to hear her.

And Joker kept talking.

"Someday it will fall upon you and Onii-sama to take care of your parents, right? Just think of the long hours dear ol' Otou-sama works to take care of your grandfather along with a wife and two children. Oh, you have an uncle in America, but he's busy doing his own thing. He can't even be bothered to send any financial support for his own father, can he? So, it falls upon poor Otou-sama to toil away in that office or to go on all those business trips, instead of spending time with his sweet, precious Reika-san. And when you finally get to be with him, he's just so emotionally exhausted, isn't he? Sometimes he doesn't even have the energy to give you a smile."

Reika's chin trembled.

Joker patted her hand. "You know you shouldn't complain. You know he does it all to make sure you're well fed and wanting nothing. But sometimes you forget you even have a father, don't you? It's hard to remember someone who isn't always there beside you, isn't it?"

Reika bit her lip. Then she nodded.

"That's why you gravitate to your dear grandfather. Because if it weren't for him, you wouldn't even have a real father figure, would you?"

Nao stared. "Reika…"

She had never known Reika felt that way. Reika had only ever said positive things about her family; she didn't even complain when her mother phoned for her to come home early when she was having fun at one of the other Precure's houses.

"And if you don't get a good job someday," continued Joker, "your poor, poor brother will have to carry the financial burden of providing for your parents, and then _his_ children won't be able to enjoy time with their father. You wouldn't want to bring that upon your future nieces and nephews, do you?"

Reika hesitated, then shook her head.

Joker's face broke into a grin. "But stay in Japan! Stay in Nanairogaoka!" he said cheerfully, throwing up his arms. "Your friendships matter more than your future! The Precure matter more than your family! It's not like middle-school friendships fall apart after graduation, right? There's no reason to think you won't all go to the same high school together. Maybe Cure Happy's father _won't_ be transferred again. Maybe Cure Sunny's family _won't_ move the restaurant to another town. Maybe each of you will stay rooted in Nanairogaoka forever and ever and ever. There's no reason to think otherwise, _ri-i-ight_?"

He practically sang the last word.

Nao's grip tightened on the bars. "Reika, you're smart enough to get a great job," she said, her voice hitching. "If you want to go, then go. But if you want to stay, your family won't be hurt. You got years before you have to think about that."

Reika slowly turned her head. She met Nao's gaze. She spoke in a low voice.

"March, you're my friend, but" — and her blue eyes became ice — "you really don't know what you're talking about."

Nao leaned back, chilled. "Reika..."

"Reika-chan!" wailed Happy, tears trickling down her dusty cheeks.

"I think the party's over now," said Joker, grinning like his birthday had come early. He snapped his fingers.

Before anyone could protest, huge cards swept in front of them once again, and the girls found themselves back in the school's archery dojo — minus Reika.

* * *

No matter how much they called for Reika and Joker, the jester would not let them return to the circus tent.

However, they found themselves in an unexpected quandary. Normally, Bad End Spaces disappeared as soon as they defeated an Akanbe and retrieved a new Cure Decor from its cursed nose. However, Joker's Hyper Akanbe remained within that alternate dimension, and the slumped-over bodies of students and teachers being siphoned for Bad Energy still riddled the school grounds beneath the dark-purple canopy.

"We can't just leave them, can we?" Happy said, biting her lip.

To their surprise, Peace bounded forward, punching the air with her small fist.

"_Superhero time_!" she exclaimed with determination.

Following her lead, they swooped through the property, using their superhuman strength and speed to carry friends and faculty away from the dark space to an unaffected grassy area just outside its harmful radius. They still didn't know how to dispel the Bad End Space, but Nao found herself smiling just a little as she saw kids slowly regaining the former lucid looks in their eyes.

"Do you think the Space will go away on its own if nobody's feeding it Bad Energy?" Sunny muttered to Nao as she laid their geography teacher on an empty green spot.

"I hope so," said Nao.

As their schoolmates and teachers began to shake off the dark spell, the Precure retreated to a safe distance to avoid recognition, springing onto the roof of a nearby building. The Bad End Space seemed a little less purple, Nao thought, although it was hard to tell with sunset lengthening the shadows.

Finally, they could think of Reika.

"Do you think Joker let her go home?" Peace wondered, hiding her lips against her clenched hands.

"He'd better," said Sunny, slapping her knuckles into her open palm.

"One way to find out," said Nao grimly.

Still as Precure, they bolted as fast as they could to the Aokis' residence, and no one thought to de-transform until after Nao had knocked on the front door. Fortunately, they were back in their school uniforms by the time Reika's mother opened the door to greet them.

"Good afternoon, girls," Mrs. Aoki said, giving them a calm, gentle smile much like her daughter's.

Nao stepped forward. "Is Reika back yet?"

"She came home just a few minutes ago, saying she didn't feel well," Mrs. Aoki replied. "She's taking a bath right now, but I'll tell her you stopped by."

A soft, collective sigh of relief traveled through them. Reika was alive, and she was home.

"Could you ask her to call me?" Nao asked.

Mrs. Aoki nodded. "Of course," she said. "Give my regards to your mother."

The girls retreated through the gate of the courtyard's wall, a relic of the Aoki family's long history in the city of Nanairogaoka. As they stood on the quiet street, they exchanged relieved but conflicted glances.

"Joker didn't hurt Reika-chan," Yayoi said, touching her chest, and Candy cheered.

Akane, however, frowned, narrowing fiery eyes. "So, what's his game?"

"We'll just have to wait for Reika to tell us," said Nao. "C'mon, we should go back to school and get our bags."

The other three jumped at the realization. They all started down the road together, walking lighter than they had before, although they said little.

As they reached the street corner, Miyuki suddenly remarked, "I probably have Aiko-chan's number somewhere in my room. I should give her a call."

Candy looked up from her arms. "Who's that?"

Miyuki smiled, but it lacked her usual energy. "She was my best friend at my old school," she said quietly. "I haven't talked to her in ages."

Akane rubbed her nose thoughtfully. "I could probably phone my cousin in Osaka tonight. I totally forgot to send her a birthday card this year." Her face fell a little. "We used to do everything together. I promised to write her every week before we moved away."

Nao looked at the two. "Hey, don't let Joker get to you. He doesn't know either of you."

Akane shot her a strained glance. "But he has a point. If I can't even stay in touch with my own family…" She stopped, unable to finish.

* * *

The hours stretched by. As she helped prepare supper, Nao listened for a ring. As she took a turn holding baby Yui so her mom could rest, she paced up and down the hallway with her fussy sister, keeping her eyes on the phone on its wooden stand. When her siblings congregated in the living room to play with their dad, Nao hung out in the doorway of the bedroom she shared with her siblings, arms folded, listening, listening…

"C'mon, Reika," she whispered through her teeth.

But the phone stayed silent.

Her nerves tight, Nao tried to think. If she called, would Reika agree to speak with her? Had Joker come back and kidnapped Reika a second time while Nao had been here waiting? Or something worse?

Nao swallowed back a growl of frustration, lightly kicking the sliding door. What could she do?

She glanced about her bedroom, and she noticed then a few books laid spilled out on the floor by the bookcase. Her brother Yuuta must have been playing earlier, and the others hadn't thought to help him put them back. Nao crossed the room, reaching for the picture books. She placed the first one in the empty space on the lowest shelf. Then she shot upright, brightening as a light bulb went off in her mind.

"Of course!"

* * *

It took less than no time to get to the Precure's secret base within the Mysterious Library, and from there it was easy to put the Book Door Code into the base's bookshelf, only now she pictured in her mind the tall bookcase inside Reika's bedroom.

Flying through the open portal of rainbow lights, it took only a few seconds to reach the other side, where a pink light filled the dim, mostly bare room. Reika's bureau stood before her, with an ovoid vanity mirror and a vase of pink flowers. The pale tatami floor laid open, and all the doors stood closed. As Nao's socked feet landed, an alarmed gasp on her left drew her attention to the low desk where Reika herself knelt on her legless _zaisu_ chair.

"Nao!" she cried, her eyes bulging within the pale illumination of her desk lamp, the only light in the room. Despite the hour, Reika still wore day clothes, this time her favorite milk-blue dress with the blue waistband and a blue open sweater.

Nao folded her arms, frowning down at her. She had never used the book gates to enter anyone's room without permission before, and she squirmed a little to think of invading Reika's privacy. But anything involving an inhumane person like Joker had given her the courage to breach protocol and investigate her friend's health and safety.

"Hey," she said in greeting. "Did your mom give you my message?"

Reika's surprise vanished, and stoic neutrality took its place. "I apologize," she said, dipping her head. "I've been preoccupied."

Nao's frown deepened. She was acting too formal, even for Reika.

"Well, I'm here now," she said civilly. "Let's talk."

Reika returned to her book. "I have a lot of homework. So do you."

"It's Friday night," Nao retorted. "You can spare five minutes to talk to your oldest friend."

Reika did not look at her. "I really don't feel like it, Nao," she said quietly.

Nao softened, changing tactics. "Look, I know you've been through a lot today," she said gently. "I'm worried about you. Just let me know you're okay, alright? I mean, for all I know, I could be looking at Joker pulling a Urikohime cosplay, right?"

She meant it as a half-jest to lighten the tension since Reika knew how the melon girl's gory story had creeped Nao out since childhood. However, Nao straightened, giving Reika a sweeping glance.

"I'm _not_, am I?"

Reika flipped a page. "Of course not."

Nao planted her socked feet, holding her arms akimbo. "At my eighth birthday party, which leg did I break?" she challenged.

"You didn't ever break your leg," answered Reika. "You broke your right arm, and it was on your brother's second birthday."

Nao relaxed slightly, but Reika continued to read her textbook. Her stiff posture reminded Nao of the chill stare Reika had given her back in Joker's circus tent.

Nao lowered herself beside Reika, crossing her legs. "I'm just worried about you," she said again, watching her emotionless face. "You know you can tell me anything, right? We've been through so much, no matter what Joker says."

Reika's thumb slid against the page's edge.

Nao shifted on the floor. "You know he's not your friend, right? He doesn't really care what happens to you or your family. Look at how many times he's kidnapped Candy. Or when he stuffed us all into that Ball of Neglect. He's just trying to revive Emperor Pierrot."

Reika slowly lifted her head but stared at the wall in front of her. "Of course I know that," she said, "but even a broken mirror gives a glimmer of a true reflection."

"And what's the true reflection, in this case?" Nao pressed.

Reika grimaced slightly.

Nao waited, but Reika remained silent. Nao laid her hands on the low desk.

"You didn't tell me you felt that way about your dad," she said quietly. "I know I'm not one to talk since my dad has more flexible hours as a carpenter, but you know I'll listen to your problems. You don't have to carry that all by yourself."

"I think there's a lot of things we've both kept from each other."

"Like what?"

Reika finally shifted her weight, turning herself to face her. She gave Nao a searching stare. "Nao, why didn't you tell us about your fight with Majorina?"

Nao blinked. "Huh?"

"When we all went to the Bad End Kingdom to save Candy," she said, "I fought with Joker. You fought with Majorina. But you didn't tell us anything about your fight with her, did you?"

Nao shrugged uncomfortably. It wasn't exactly her most cherished memory. Majorina the old witch from the Bad End Kingdom had been part of the blockade to stop the Precure from rescuing their kidnapped fairy. Nao had faced off against Majorina in a crater, and it ought to have been an easy enough fight. Majorina was ancient, wrinkled, mostly toothless, and didn't even come up to the fourteen-year-old Nao's waist. However, the witch had cried out a spell and became a tall, slim, young woman who made hundreds of copies of herself, each with the magic to attack Cure March with painful proficiency. Nao had wondered if she would even survive the assault.

"I guess I just wanted to forget it," Nao said at last.

"Yes, but you didn't even mention Majorina grew young while you fought," returned Reika. "That was knowledge we all could have benefited from, but you didn't bring it up until that day we had the test of courage, when Majorina haunted the school in her young form. That happened nearly two months after Candy's kidnapping."

Nao grimaced. "I'm sorry, Reika. I just… well, I was having so much fun during the summer break. I don't think about the Bad End goons twenty-four/seven. If anything, I really do try to forget them as soon as they leave."

"But you still didn't tell us. And there are things I didn't" — she lowered her gaze, fidgeting with her blue eraser — "disclose with you either."

"Like?"

Her fingers twitched. "Did you know Joker licked my hair?"

Nao started.

"He _what_?" she cried before she covered her mouth, glancing toward the sliding doors of Reika's room. She hoped the Aokis hadn't heard; it'd be hard to explain how she got here without her shoes and without any of them hearing her come in.

"During our fight, all those months ago, he licked my hair," Reika elaborated quietly. "I never thought to tell everyone that. Just like you never thought to tell us about Majorina becoming young." Reika met Nao's wide eyes. "If we can't tell each other stuff like that, how close are we, Nao?"

Nao hesitated.

Reika shook her head and returned to her homework.

Then a disturbing thought entered Nao's head. She scooted closer, searching her friend's stone face.

"Reika," she said, "what happened with Joker after we left?'

Reika did not look up. "Different things."

Nao swallowed. "Like?"

Reika flipped a page. "He took me to London."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"To prove a point." Reika exhaled, raising her head to frown at the wall in front of her. "Remember when we went to London a few months ago?"

"Of course," Nao nodded gently. "It was a fun day. I got to eat three helpings of fish and chips, and we rode around on that open-top double decker. When we took the photo on the bus, it came to a sudden stop, and Yayoi-chan toppled over. We all caught her before she hit her head." She couldn't resist the good-natured chuckle at that memory. Yayoi had wanted to get a picture of them with the Palace of Westminster and the Portcullis House in the background, with which she certainly succeeded, along with a candid shot of everyone's bulging eyes, save for Candy, who smiled obliviously while wearing a bearskin hat and red tunic like a Queen's Foot Guard which their old Dress Decor had conjured for her.

"But really think about it," Reika insisted. "We went to New York, Taiwan, Mongolia, Egypt, Easter Island, Italy, the Amazon River. So many places. But it was always daylight when we got there, remember?"

"Yeah. So?"

Reika's mouth twitched. "New York is fourteen hours behind Japan, but when we visited the Statue of Liberty, the sun was just as high as when we left home." She tapped her pencil against her book. "I didn't think about it then because we were enjoying ourselves so much, but clearly the Book Door doesn't just transport us through space. It can take us through _time_ as well."

Nao whistled softly and leaned back, rubbing her head. "Whoa."

"Which means, if I did go to Great Britain, the Book Door can handle the time-zone differences. We can all see each other when we want and get back to our homes without much time passing. Really think about it."

Nao brightened a tiny bit. "That's amazing."

"And yet I didn't even remember the Book Door until this afternoon," Reika said, and her soft voice became a little bitter. "Ever since I was told I was accepted for the study-abroad program yesterday, I've been worrying about what my right path is. Do I stay? Do I go? Then Joker, of all people, is the one to show me the truth."

"Which 'truth' is that?" Nao asked, watching her.

Reika still did not meet her eye. "If I hadn't been afraid of choosing the wrong path, I wouldn't have overlooked such an obvious solution. We've used the Book Doors so many times, but I was too upset to remember it."

Nao did not reply, letting her vent. Reika gripped her pencil, and the wood creaked a bit as her fingers began to bend it.

"Nao," she said, "if I go or stay, I don't want it to be out of fear. I don't want to stay because I'm afraid of losing my friends. I don't want to go because I'm afraid of losing my future."

Nao laid a hand on her shoulder. Reika tensed a little but didn't shrug her off.

"Whatever you choose, Reika," said Nao, "you won't lose us. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but we've gone through too much this past year for that to happen."

Reika gave her a quiet side glance. "Have we?"

"I'm not gonna lie. It won't be easy. But every strong friendship takes work. If you go, I promise I'll do my part to stay friends. And I _always_ keep my promises."

Reika did not smile. She pushed herself to her feet. "I think I need to rest. It's been a long day."

Nao stood as well. She held out her arms. Although Reika was reserved and particular about when and how she gave and received physical contact, Nao wanted to show her moral support.

"Can I give you a hug?"

Reika looked at her. Then she nodded. "Alright."

She didn't spread her arms too far nor stepped forward, making Nao close the distance between them. Nao gave her a light, brief squeeze and stepped back respectfully.

"Friendship isn't fragile," she said. "If you go, I'm going to call you whenever I can. And I'll visit you with the Book Door. I promise."

Reika only made a slight nod. "Thank you, Nao."

* * *

Her siblings still played in the living room, as if Nao had only just left. Reika seemed to be right about the book gates moving people through time as well as space.

Nao exhaled and leaned against the bookshelf, rubbing her green head. What could she do now?

Well, Reika still had a month before she left for Britain. Nao could at least make it comfortable for her. She could also start thinking of ways she and the other Precure could visit Reika if she did leave.

She'd bet Joker wouldn't be expecting that.

_What is that guy's problem?_ Nao brooded, drumming her fingers against her forearm. She once again saw Joker in the center of the circus tent, smugly deriding friendships as if he were an expert. If she hadn't had to worry about Reika getting hurt, Nao would've taught him a different tune to sing, or at least had gotten that hair-licker to keep his bony hands away from Reika.

Yet even as she stewed over actions not taken, a pricking discomfort wormed its way into her mind. Joker had claimed another girl becoming Cure Beauty would've ended Nao's friendship with Reika. While she wanted to believe she would've continued to care for her childhood best friend, she also remembered how quickly she had started eating lunch with Miyuki, Candy, Akane, and Yayoi. She hadn't even felt tempted to share her new secret with Reika until Miyuki suggested asking her to join the Precure. Even then, even when they had congregated in the archery dojo to petition Reika, Nao had felt a sort of gulf between herself and someone with whom she used to share all her secrets.

She rolled her shoulders and pushed off the bookcase. Well... good thing Reika became Cure Beauty then. Sure, if the Precure hadn't come into their lives, she might've lost a dear friendship, but now her and Reika's bond had strengthened too much for them to drift apart so easily again, even if they did wind up on different continents.

Nao smiled grimly as she collected her things to prepare for bed.

Joker had overplayed his hand already. Because of his tauntings, Miyuki had decided to reconnect with her old friends, and Akane remembered to reach out to her cousin. Maybe both girls felt guilty now, but Joker had caused them to strengthen and rekindle their precious relationships. That would only make them better people in the long run. So whatever doubts plagued Reika, and whatever path Reika chose regarding the next school year, Joker's manipulation would only backfire on him somehow.

At least, Nao was going to make sure it would.

THE END

* * *

A/N:

If you couldn't tell, this fic was more about "What could Joker had done differently in Ep. 43?" than much else. In any case, I've been wanting to do something with Nao's POV for a while, so yay. I also liked being able to slip in a headcanon for how the Queen could've used the Dog Decor. (One would assume Candy knows she could use it to track someone because she's seen it used that way before, right?)


End file.
